The Knight in Shining Armor came to the Damsel’s rescue today. As usual. Sometimes it’s dragons, sometimes it’s holes in the sheetrock.
The Damsel doesn’t want to discuss how this hole got there. Let’s just say it had something to do with barbells and move on.
This method is for kinda big holes. First, take a scrap of sheetrock and cut a square/rectangle that’s slightly larger than the hole. Simply score the sheetrock and then break it (pop it with the side of your hand) along the score mark, then trim the sheetrock paper.
Hold it over the hole and trace around it with a pencil.
Cut on these lines with a small saw. Careful! The Knight wants you to know in his line of work (when he’s not dragonslaying) he has seen some sad instances of people cutting into pipes and wires.
The Knight cut three sides with his little saw, and then cut the fourth side by scoring and breaking the sheetrock, because wires were behind that cut–thus avoiding cutting into hidden house guts like electrical stuff.
Take a piece of wood, like a 1×2, and cut it about four inches longer than the hole. Position it inside the hole so two inches or so lap over on the inside of the top and the bottom of the hole.
Secure with long screws. Make sure all your screws are set well in–you want them flush with the surface, or even a little bit indented. Repeat with another piece of wood as necessary for your size hole.
Now fit in your cut piece, and secure with more screws to the wood you’ve inserted.
Get out your roll of mesh drywall tape…
and cover the four sides of the square.
Trowel on some drywall compound. Mud, they call it.
When it’s dry, sand it smooth. The Knight says you may want to smooth on a little more mud at that point, and then sand again, for a really nice, invisible mend.
Also, tell your teenage son that the basement stairwell is a weird place to lift weights.
I thought for sure that your holes in the wall would involve a Head belonging to one of your boys being put through the sheetrock by one of your other boys or a male relative or a male friend. That is how holes in our sheetrock always happen. The Knight was amazing. This might be a good lesson for said teenage son to have learned also!
Nice job. good idea
one more hint…
be sure to put either a coat of primer or a few coats of flat paint on before painting with a non-flat paint. otherwise the paint will show the repair
Thanks, Cory!
jonathan says… “i don’t want to name names, but could the teenage son responsible for this mess have a name that starts with a k and rhymes with lenny?”
good info. I’ve done a similar mend, but tried to fit the patch to the whole, instead of cutting an easier (rectangular!) shape. I insist that the hole maker learns how to mend the whole, too. HOpefully that results in less holes made.
Damsel! I just love your site and dry humor! I am getting ready to can some meat and you have given me the impetus.
keep up the great posts and pictoral essays.
I’m really impressed. Truly.
You know everything! Somethings, however, I don’t want to know how to do because then I’ll have to do them. Like taking out the garbage. Or doing dishes. Never learn how to do those things.
I know exactly what you mean. I purposely have no idea how to hook up the Playstation.